The Time is Now
by The Yellow Rubber Ducky
Summary: The story of what was happening in Hogwarts and the Burrow while the "Golden Trio" was out looking for the Horcruxes. Minimal romance, multi-chaptered. Title subject to change.
1. On the Train

**AN: So... this is gonna be my first multi-chaptered HP story... hope you like it.**

**If someone's got this idea too, sorry, I had no idea. **

**Also, check out my new forum for HP roleplayers. There is a link on my profile.**

**Enjoy?**

* * *

Molly's tear- stained face sent a pang to Ginny's heart.

Sadness and worry was in the heart of everyone on Platform 9 ¾ that day. It was a month after the Death Eaters had taken over the Ministry of Magic, and everyone was afraid for their children that were going to be riding the train to Hogwarts, which had also been taken over by the Death Eaters.

Around them, many hugs and tearful goodbyes were exchanged. No one wanted to go to Hogwarts this year—except the Slytherins.

"I'll be fine, Mum. Don't worry about me," whispered Ginny into her mother's ear, and she gave her a hug. She could feel her mother's tears soak into her shirt, but she didn't mind. Her own tears were soaking into her mum's shirt.

"I know… it's just…" Molly mumbled, her voice muffled, yet thick with tears.

"Ron. Hermione. Harry," she said, finishing her mum's sentence. Molly nodded, holding her daughter tighter. "They're fine, Mum. I can feel it. They're fine," Ginny muttered, not only to reassure her mother, but herself as well. She'd thought about the trio daily, hoping that they were safe, and that they had not been captured by Death Eaters.

Her mother let go of her, tears falling down her weathered cheeks. "I wish you didn't have to go," Molly whispered hoarsely, her hands grasping Ginny's shoulders. Ginny nodded, not willing to let her own tears fall from her eyes. Having six brothers toughened her up, but now, it seemed as if her defenses were falling.

"I'll miss you, Mum," she mumbled, as her mother wrapped her arms around her, hugging her again, as if she would never let go. The tears fell. "Send Fred, George, Bill, and Charlie my love," she whispered. She felt her mum nod, and let go.

"Bye, sweetie."

Her dad walked up behind the two women, and engulfed Ginny in a tight hug. "Make us proud, okay?" he whispered in her ear, pecking her softly on the top of her head. Ginny nodded, trying to blink away her tears. "You should get on the train. They'll be leaving soon. Don't forget; be ready for anything they ask you. You're a strong girl, Ginevra," he said, squeezing her gently.

"Bye Mum, Dad," she said shakily, waving feebly.

She stepped onto the train, looking back sadly at her parents. "Bye," she mouthed, and went in.

Arthur and Molly stood there for a moment, silent. He put an arm around his wife's shoulders, squeezing her gently. "She'll be fine. She's a brave girl… won't do anything stupid," he muttered to her, looking over at his red-haired wife. He turned around, making to leave. She nodded numbly, eyes fixed on the spot where her daughter had once been standing.

"Brave…" she mumbled, lost in thought.

"Molly?" Arthur called, interrupting her thoughts.

She shook her head, clearing her mind. "Coming, dear," she said.

* * *

Inside, Ginny was sullenly moving about the train, looking for her friends. She wiped her face of any sign of tears, and allowed herself to mill through the mess of people trying to find a compartment.

"C'mon, move it! Go faster, you buggers!" sneered a snide voice a few yards behind her. She turned around to see the familiar Draco Malfoy yelling at a few first and second years. They all pushed against her, trying to get out of the menacing Slytherin's way.

She rolled her eyes at the skinny, pale boy, and walked further down the train. "Oi, Ginny! Over here!" She turned around once more to see Neville waving at her, gesturing for her to join him. Slowly, moving with the crowd, she caught up with him. He grinned at her. "How are you? Luna's saved us a compartment. It's somewhere down here…" he said, peeking into some of the compartments.

They reached the compartment where only Luna and Seamus were sitting. "Hello!" said Luna cheerfully, hugging her friend. Ginny returned the greeting, and her eyes fell on Seamus.

"Hi, Seamus," she said to the boy, who looked oddly strange without his tall, dark skinned friend.

"Hey, Ginny," he responded dully. He looked up, his eyes slightly sad. "Dean's on the run. Dunno where 'e is. S'bout that new Muggle-Born registration thing," he said, in answer to her questioning look. She nodded shortly, slightly worried about her ex-boyfriend.

She took a seat next to Luna, who was holding a weathered-looking edition of the Quibbler. "How have your summers been?" asked Neville, who sat beside Seamus.

"Good, actually. Daddy and I went on our trip to study more about Crups. He thinks they're severely misunderstood," said Luna, putting her Quibbler down.

Suddenly, the compartment door slid open. The four of them jumped in surprise, looking at the door. A large, hulking man stood in the doorway, with beady black eyes and a grizzled mustache. A Death Eater. He had a weathered, menacing look, with scars down his cheeks and neck. His black, long hair was matted and greasy, as if it hadn't been washed in several days. Neville tensed, and something in the back of his head told him that he knew this man.

"Oi, all o' you, gimme your firs' name, las' name, blood status, and House. Startin' with you, boy," said the man, pointing a long, grubby finger at Seamus. Seamus looked untroubled, and merely looked at the Death Eater with a calm expression.

"Seamus Finnigan, Half-Blood, Gryffindor," he said. The man looked down at a piece of parchment he was holding, scanning it.

His mouth turned up in a sneering grin. "Finningan, eh? Says 'ere that you know a Dean Thomas, yeah?" he asked. Seamus paled.

"And if I do?" he said, voice slightly shaking. The Death Eater ignored him.

"You," he snapped, pointing at Luna.

Luna sat up a bit straighter and replied, "Luna Lovegood, Pure-blood, Ravenclaw." Fear grew in Ginny's chest. She knew that Luna's father had been publishing Harry-supporting articles in the last few weeks, and that Luna was in danger of being taken by the Death Eaters, if old Xeno made a mistake.

"Lovegood? Hah! You're father's in deep shit, I'll say," laughed the Death Eater, before he turned to Ginny. "I don' need ta ask who you are, now do I, missy? A blood traitor Weasley—your hair gives it away. Tell me, 'ow's your brother—the one who's got spattergroit, huh?" he sneered, and snapped at Neville. "Wha' 'bout you, boy?"

"Neville Longbottom, Pure-blood, Gryffindor," replied Neville shortly.

The Death Eater laughed. "How are ya' parents, Longbo'om? Gone loopy, yeah? We enjoyed doing torturing them," he spat. Neville shook in his seat, his hands turning into fists, his knuckles white. Blood rushed to his head.

The hulking man took one last look at the occupants of the compartment, and left, laughing. "HE'S GONNA PAY-!" roared Neville, and it took Ginny, Seamus, and Luna all of their strength to push him back into his seat.

"It's not going to help, Neville!" Luna cried, as they struggled to get their breath back. Neville's chest heaved as his lip trembled. He had taken his wand out of his pocket, and was now trying to stuff it back in.

"Luna's right, mate. They'll be lookin' for every chance to mess with you," Seamus agreed, sitting back down.

They sat in silence for a while, until Neville spoke up. "That was Rodolphus Lestrange. He was _there_ – he was one of the four who did it," he said shakily. His face blanched, and he was still shaking.

Luna patted his hand encouragingly. "They'd be proud of you, Neville," she said quietly, as the other two nodded in agreement.

"What was that about anyways?" asked Seamus, referring to the piece of paper the Death Eater had been holding.

"My gram says that they're trying to get the Muggle-borns who haven't registered yet, and kidnap the students whose parents have been going against the Death Eaters," said Neville.

Ginny bit her lip. "Then why am I here? Shouldn't he have taken me to Azkaban, or something? My whole family is against the Death Eaters!" she said worriedly, wishing she had just stayed behind with her family. Her thoughts strayed back to Fred, George, and Charlie, who were still at home, not wanting to go to work yet.

"Your family is pure-blooded. They're just looking for the Muggle-borns. And sure, your family's been in contact with Harry, but that's not enough for you to be shipped off to Azkaban," said Seamus, in his thick Irish accent.

Luna nodded. "Your dad's being tracked, probably, for working in the Ministry," she said. Ginny paled, thinking about Death Eaters following her father home after work.

_I wonder if they've checked for Ron yet. If they hadn't by now, they will once they realize he's not on the train with Harry and Hermione…_she thought worriedly, remembering the smelly ghoul that Ron had shown her, explaining that the ghoul was "him" with spattergroit.

"_Blimey, he smells. So you know the story now, right? This is me, unless they figure out that this is just a nasty ghoul. Then, just completely ditch him. Or put him back in the closet. Wherever," she remembered Ron saying._

* * *

The compartment door slid open again, and this time, Neville whipped out his wand, pointing it at the door. A surprised Hannah Abbott stood shocked, eyeing the wand that was inches away from her. "It's just me!" she squeaked.

Neville blushed, and put his wand down. "Sorry, Hannah. S'just the Death Eater—surprised us last time," he said, looking down. Hannah smiled kindly, also blushing slightly.

"Can I join you? Ernie and his friends aren't exactly the best company right now," she said, looking over her shoulder.

"Of course!" said Neville, a little too quickly. Seamus and Ginny chuckled, and Luna smiled. Hannah grinned brightly at him, and took the seat next to Luna and Ginny. They sat in an awkward silence, eyes flashing from the window to the door. Seamus turned to Neville, and started talking to him about some Quidditch game he went to two months before. "I heard Puddlemere United got beat bad. S'no good now, huh? Since Francis left? They have yet to find a good Keeper," said Neville cheerily.

* * *

"My brother got married," said Ginny, continuing their conversation of what they did during the summer. "Y'know, Bill? He got married to Phle—I mean, Fleur," she said.

Luna nodded. "It was a very nice ceremony. Until the Death Eaters came," she said absentmindedly.

Neville and Seamus jumped. "Death Eaters?" yelped Seamus. Ginny nodded grimly.

"Came in during the reception. Kingsley, the Head of the Aurors—well, ex- Head of the Aurors—sent a Patronus," she said. "Made it talk, he did. Said that the Ministry was overthrown, and that Scrimgeour was dead." The other four looked on with interest. "Everyone scattered. It was just my family and I—except for Ron. I reckon he was with Harry and Hermione," she mused.

"Those four are inseparable, aren't they? I wonder where they are. They wouldn't ditch Hogwarts unless they've got a good reason—but You-Know-Who's taken over the school, s'not exactly the best place to be at the moment," said Seamus.

Ginny nodded in grim agreement. "My mum was pestering them all summer. Ron and Hermione said they weren't coming back, and when Harry arrived, he said the same thing. Mum was mad... said they should continue their education. But now, I think she agrees with them. Now that Snape's headmaster," she retorted.

Seamus made a disapproving noise. "Bloody hell, that man makes me sick. Firs' he goes off an' kills Dumbledore, an' then he takes his place!" he said angrily.

"I heard You-Know-Who made him Head. He probably wants one of his own in the school," said Hannah, taking out a copy of the Daily Prophet. Seamus cringed.

"Ai, put that away! That paper's rubbish, you know that!" he said, sending a dark glare at the paper.

Hannah rolled her eyes at him, and pointed at an article. "_Severus Snape, long-standing Potions master at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardy, was today appointed Headmaster in the most important of several staffing changes at the ancient school. Following the resignation of the previous Muggle Studies teacher, Alecto Carrow will take over the post while her brother, Amycus Carrow fills the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts."_

Seamus snorted. "Defense Against the Dark Arts, my arse! More like Dark Arts, if you ask me. I can't believe that no one is doin' anythin' about this!" yelled Seamus, outraged.

"Shut it, Seamus! They might hear you!" Hannah scowled, sending him a warning look. Neville nodded in agreement.

Seamus slouched on the chair, as the woman with the food trolley rolled up to their compartment, knocking on the glass. Ginny jumped up to slide it back. "Anything from the trolley, dears?" she asked kindly. Ginny noticed that the elderly woman hadn't changed over the years- besides the fact that she was constantly looking over her shoulder. She couldn't blame her.

"I'll get a um... a Liquorice Wand and two Chocolate Frogs, please," Ginny asked, rummaging in her pocket for some loose change. The elderly witch nodded, and as she looked for the sweets, Hannah and Neville appeared behind her.

"Here you go, dear," she said, handing the sweets to Ginny as Ginny handed the money to her. She turned to Neville and Hannah. "Anything sweet for you, dears?" she asked them. Hannah nodded.

"I'll get the Every Flavour Beans and a Chocolate Frog, please," she asked, handing a small pile of Knuts to the elderly woman.

Neville stepped forward. "I'll get the same, please," he asked.

The woman nodded and bent to get their sweets. She stood back up and handed the candy to the two, and peered into the compartment. "Anything for you?" she asked Seamus and Luna. They both shook their heads no. "No? Okay. Goodbye, dears," she said, and pushed the cart to the next compartment.

Hannah tore open her bag of Every Flavour Beans and tossed a blue-looking one at Ginny. The red-head eyes the bean suspiciously. "What is it?" she asked, cautiously. Hannah shrugged.

"No idea. Try it," she said, and Ginny popped the bean into her mouth.

"Blueberry," she said, satisfied. Hannah smiled and popped a red one into her mouth. "Oi, Hannah- that's-!" Ginny yelled, moving to stop the Hufflepuff from eating the bean. She stopped her too late, and Hannah had already bit into the bean. Her face turned red, and she grabbed a bottle of water from her bag and gulped it down. "-Hot sauce," Ginny finished.

Neville chuckled, prodding Seamus. "Remember that night in our third year? We'd gone to Honeydukes and bought three packages of those? Harry kept getting the bad tasting ones, and he got hot sauce," he laughed. Seamus sniggered, remembering Harry run around fanning his burning face. The happy mood quickly sombered up as they thought of the "Golden Trio" again. "I hope they're okay," said Neville softly, voicing the thought that had been in everyone's mind.

"They should be okay. If they weren't, the Prophet would've said something about it. They wouldn't hide anything like that," said Ginny, not wanting to believe if anything had happened to her brother and his two best friends. Seamus snorted.

"Wouldn't be the first time they hid anything," he said, glaring at Hannah's copy of the Daily Prophet.

Luna opened her Quibbler again. "Daddy's the only one printing the Order of the Phoenix's side nowadays. Everyone else is too scared," she said, scanning the magazine.

"Amen," Seamus said, laughing. He crossed his arms and looked out past the window to the darkening sky. "We'd better change into our robes. Looks like it's gettin' dark," he murmured, and stood to get his school robes out of his bag as the rest did the same.

* * *

**AN: Review?**


	2. Potterwatch

**AN: Here's the second chapter. I hope you like it.**

* * *

"Do you think we can send letters to her, Arthur?" Molly Weasley was setting the table for dinner as her husband sat on an ancient armchair, reading the Quibbler, instead of the Daily Prophet, which had been thrown down in anger by Charlie a few hours ago. Arthur looked up behind his glasses.

"What did you say, dear?" he asked.

Mrs. Weasley stirred something in a pot, and looked at her husband. "Ginny. Do you think we can send letters to her?" she asked, magically floating plates to the table.

Arthur shrugged. He too, was concern about his only daughter. "I suppose. For the time being, I think it'll be okay. But remember, Molly, they're going to be reading every letter we send to her, and every letter she sends to us," he said in a warning tone. Molly bit her lip, wondering if anything bad had happened to her youngest child.

His blue eyes scanned the list of deaths (which was unusually short this week); looking for anyone he might've known. His heart fell as he read the names of a family he'd been particularly fond of. "Molly, look. The—" he started, but was interrupted by his wife.

"I don't want to hear it, Arthur. There's been enough bad news this week," she said sadly, as she wiped her hands with a nearby towel. "Why can't Xenophilius publish anything happy? I, for one, think it's better if he was to start publishing things about those Crumple things, rather than all of these deaths," she said dismissively. "Can't he see that he's putting his daughter in danger, as well as himself?" Her thoughts strayed to the Luna girl, whom she'd met during Bill and Fleur's wedding.

Her husband walked over to her, and sighed, as he put his thin arms around his short wife. "Things will get worse before they get better," he said, before he walked towards the stairs to call his sons.

"Fred, George, Charlie! Dinner's ready!" he yelled up the stairs.

"Okay, Dad!" they yelled back, and ran down the stairs.

Molly sat them down at the end of the table, floating the food towards them with her wand. "Careful, it's hot," she said, and Charlie reached for the floating potatoes. He touched the platter, and winced. "I told you," she said, smiling at her second oldest son. He grinned at her, and waiting for the platter to land softly on the table, before taking a large spoonful of it, and dropping on his plate. His brother George did the same, and Molly whacked them both on the back of their heads as they moved to eat them. "George, Charlie! Kingsley and Elphias are joining us for dinner! Wait for them," she said sternly, and they both dropped their spoons onto their plates with a loud clatter.

"Yes, Mum!" they said in unison, as Fred grinned.

"Kingsley? I wonder why he didn't tell me. I saw him this morning as I was going up to my office, and he didn't say a word about it," said Arthur, surprised. There were three loud taps on the door, and the five Weasleys jumped, looking towards the window. "It must be them," said Arthur, and went to go answer the door.

"Hello," said Kingsley, his deep voice echoing through the kitchen. The Weasleys greeted him and Elphias likewise, and they all sat down at the table, eating furiously. "I've been starving myself lately, to tell you the truth," he said, chuckling. He turned to Charlie. "When are you going back to Romania?" he asked the second oldest Weasley boy.

Charlie wiped his mouth with a napkin, and said, "In two weeks. My boss is letting me have this time off, since I've been working all year."

Kingsley nodded, and looked at Molly and Arthur. "Any word from your youngest son?" he asked hopefully. He frowned when they shook their heads no. "How is the ghoul working so far? Have they come and checked?" he asked, thinking about the ghoul that the Weasleys had shown him.

"Not yet. They probably will soon, once they notice that Ron's not on the train," said Charlie, swallowing a slice of steak.

* * *

They continued eating, until the twins looked at each other, wanting to say something. George cleared his throat, and nudged his brother. "Oh—yeah. Um… our friend, Lee Jordan—you know him, right, mum?" asked Fred, looking at his mother. She nodded curiously, gesturing for him to go on. "Well, he's got this idea to start some kind of way to get news—the _real_ news—out to people. People on our side," he added.

Kingsley clasped his hands on the table and leaned forward. "Old Xeno seems to be doing a good job so far," he said, an eyebrow raised.

"Lee wants to start a radio station. One that it requires, maybe a password, or an answer to maybe a secret question. Something that the Death Eaters will find hard to get into," said George.

Fred spoke up. "And Xenophilius is going to be stopped soon, you know that." George nodded. "He's not exactly hiding himself, and he's putting his daughter in danger. He might be mad, but he wouldn't risk his daughter."

"I don't think it's a bad idea. The only thing is, it's going to take a lot of secrecy to get it out to everyone else, without it getting into the wrong hands," said Arthur.

Kingsley nodded. "Your friend's idea is good. But like your father said, unless it only stays within the Order, there is a very good chance that the Death Eaters will track the source down and get rid of it."

The twins nodded, thinking about it. "He's already got some of it done. Lee's not stupid, and he knows what he's doing. We brought it up, just wondering if you'd possibly want to come on and say a few things. You too, Elphias," said Fred.

The ex-Head of the Aurors seemed to consider it, but Molly jumped up. "You can't be seriously thinking about doing it, boys! You're just—" she stammered, trying to think of the correct word.

"Kids? Mum, people are dying out there, and no one's done anything about it! We can't just stand here and wait for something to happen! We have to do something!" George insisted.

Molly's face reddened. "That's exactly why I don't want you to do it! People are dying!" she said sternly, putting her hands on her hips.

"Molly," said Arthur quietly. She whirled on him, daring him to say anything. "Molly, the boys have a point." She gaped at him. "They do, dear. We can't wait around for something to happen."

"Mum, you know that they are just going to do it, even if you say that they can't. You know them. They some of the most stubborn beings in the world," Charlie said, scarfing down a mouthful of potatoes and steak. She looked at him with a '_Not you, too…'_ look, but he shrugged.

"Lee's coming over," said Fred. Molly looked at him.

"What? When?" she asked.

George looked at his watch. "About ten minutes. He's not coming for dinner, though." Molly looked at them crossly as they led Kingsley and Elphias to their bedroom. "We'll show you what he's got done," said George.

They left, and Charlie stood up, brushing himself off. "Need help cleaning up, Mum?" he asked, floating his plate to the sink with his wand.

"No, it's okay. You go on and join them up there, if you'd like. You too, Arthur," she said. Her son nodded, and sprinted up the stairs. Her eyes followed him wearily, not believing how much her children had grown in the past few years.

"I'll stay here and help you out," Arthur said, floating the other tables towards the sink.

* * *

Upstairs, Kingsley, Elphias, and the twins were leaning over a radio. "Impressive," said Kingsley. "We could've used your friend at the Ministry." Kingsley smiled.

Fred and George chuckled. "I think the last thing he wants is a job at the Ministry."

Charlie walked in, and joined them on the floor. "Lee's here. Mum's just giving him a treacle tart. You know how she is," he said, eyes flashing towards the door. "I'm surprised we're all not out of shape. Then again, we inherited the Weasley metabolism," he said, patting his stomach. George and Fred grinned and turned back to the radio.

"We wanted to figure out a way to get it to where you could only listen if you had the password," said Fred, as Lee walked in. "Oh hey, Lee. We were showing them what we'd gotten done," Fred greeted him.

"Oh, good. Hello, Elphias, Kingsley," he said, nodding towards the other two. "You see, I was thinking passwords should be something related to the Order—like Albus, or something."

The other five nodded, and Kingsley spoke up. "Have you spoken to Remus about this? I'm sure that he'd be delighted to join in."

The twins looked at each other. "Mum says he's gone abroad. Andromeda told her that he just needed some time to think," said George, biting his lip. "Tonks is having a baby," he added.

Kingsley, Elphias, and Charlie paled. They didn't know about that. "What? Are they mad? These are dangerous times, not good enough for a baby to be born in!" cried Elphias. Charlie shook. He'd known Tonks while he was at school—the quirky, cheerful girl from Hufflepuff was having a baby? Surely she'd have more sense than that!

"He left her? Someone needs to knock some sense into that man! We know he's a werewolf and all, but now's not the time to be abandoning your family!" Charlie spluttered.

Lee and George rounded on him. "Werewolves are being tracked! At these times, being a werewolf is as bad as being a Muggle-born!" said Lee, defending the ex-Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. "You can't really blame him!" Lee turned back to the radio, fiddling with the dials. "Let's get some work done, yeah?" Kingsley nodded, and leaned over the radio.

"So what you're saying is that we can control the station from this radio?" he asked.

Lee nodded. "We can broadcast it with our wands, and it'll automatically spread from this radio, to any radio that picks it up. Of course, it will only be accessible with the password, and we'll change the station every broadcast so that it will be harder for Death Eaters to track."

"Although, it makes it harder for people to get to, by changing the station," added George. "Hopefully, people will be smart enough to fiddle with the dials."

Kingsley nodded. "I'll be willing to join in," he said, and looked at Elphias. The shorter wizard tensed.

"Don't get me wrong, I would love to, but I can't. The Ministry is keeping me busy. I also have to write for the Daily Prophet, if you remember," squeaked Elphias. The others nodded in understanding, and turned to Charlie.

He looked at Fred and George, who were looking back at him with a strange determined look in their eyes. "I'm going to Romania soon. But I'll listen to it." They nodded, and Lee rubbed his hands together.

"Excellent. If anyone gets in touch with Remus, tell him we'd be happy to have him on." Lee picked up the radio. "Can we test it out? See if my spells worked?" he asked.

"Sure. We've got another radio downstairs that we can try using. What is the password?" Charlie asked, walking towards the door.

The twins shrugged. "I dunno, test?" said George. Lee nodded. "Yeah, it's going to be test," he said to his older brother. Charlie nodded, and went downstairs.

* * *

Downstairs, Arthur and Molly were cleaning up the table. "I need to go to Diagon Alley to pick up some butterbeer tomorrow. Charlie is going to come with me. Can you control the twins until dinner?" she asked him, as she used a weathered-looking cloth to scrub the table. Arthur nodded. "Okay. I'm going to write to Ginny," she said, throwing her rag onto the counter, and walking towards the staircase to go to their room.

"Send her our love," he said, as he went back to the couch to read. She nodded, and climbed the stairs. She paused at Fred and George's room, where a hushed conversation was taking place, wanting to burst in and demand to know what they were doing. She thought better of it, and shook her head, continuing to her bedroom.

With a sigh, she pulled out a piece of spare parchment from their desk and dipped her personal quill into an ink bottle in the corner.

_Dear Ginny,_

_I hope you're alright. How is school? Has Hogwarts changed any from the last year?_

_Your brothers, your father, and I wish you luck this year. Do well in your studies. Ron is still sick with spattergroit, and is getting slightly better. I think it will still take a while for him to get better. He might have to redo his seventh year, seeing as he might not get better before summer comes around again._

_How are your friends? I remember you talking about a Luna—is it the one who attended Bill's wedding? She seems like a very nice girl. Maybe she can come and visit during the holidays, or something. You also mentioned a Neville Longbottom? I met his grandmother over the summer. A very nice woman, she is. Complimented my sweater when I saw her._

_We miss you dearly already, and it hasn't even been a week! I miss having another female in the house. _

_Charlie might go back to work in a few weeks. I do hope that he can come back for the holidays. Romania just seems so far away sometimes. Fred and George don't know if they will continue their joke shop. Diagon Alley is in a bad shape, heaven knows why. Your father is still working, and he's been coming home a bit earlier every day. I wonder why._

_Your brothers and father wanted me to give you their love. We miss you, and good luck with your studies. Have fun._

_Love,_

_Mum_

Molly bit her lip tentatively, scanning over the letter several times to make sure that she didn't right anything that would put her family or friends in danger. Errol was patiently waiting for her—maybe sleeping, she couldn't really tell. Folding the letter carefully, she put it in an envelope, and gave it to Errol, who flew out into the sky, towards Hogwarts.

* * *

In the kitchen, Charlie was fiddling with the dials on the ancient radio. "Test," he said, every time he got to a new station. "Test." He tapped his wand on the side of it each time. He moved the dial slightly, tapping the radio with his wand again. "Test," he said forcefully, frowning disapprovingly at the radio.

Fred poked his head from the hall, with raised eyebrows. "Any luck?" he asked, hopefully.

"No—test. Not yet, Fred—wait—yeah! I'm on," said Charlie, hearing Lee's voice.

Fred grinned and ran back up the stairs. He poked his head through the opening of the door, smiling widely. "He's got it!" he said happily into their bedroom, and ran back down to the kitchen, like a little kid on Christmas. He stood next to his brother in the kitchen, eyes shining.

"Can you hear us, Charlie?" said Lee, his wand tip pressed against his throat to get the sound into the station. Kingsley, Elphias, and George were listening closely, smiling. "Hello? Charlie? Fred?" asked Lee.

Charlie grinned at his younger brother. "Loud and clear!" yelled Fred up to his bedroom. "This is brilliant." The two felt a swooping wave of happiness, smiling. "I don't believe it. It actually works," sighed Fred, running a hand through his red hair. They listened to Lee ranting, laughing.

"Testing, testing. Okay, Charlie. The next password will be 'practice'. Just fiddle around with the dials, 'kay?" said Lee from the radio. Charlie nodded, and started playing with the dials, tapping the side with his wand.

"Practice," he said, over and over again. Lee's voice crackled through the radio.

"Testing, testing. Can you hear us, Charlie?" he said. Fred ran up the stairs to tell them that they were successful.

Arthur walked up behind Charlie, curious. "What are you doing?" he asked. Charlie spun around and looked at his father, grinning.

"We're testing it out. Seems to be working just fine," his son said, triumphantly. Arthur smiled at his second oldest, who'd turned back to the radio, fiddling with the dials once more. "Lee's brilliant, Dad. You can hear him just fine on the radio, and he's got the password spells done, and everything!" Charlie said in awe.

It was a small accomplishment, but they were feeling extremely happy about it.

* * *

**AN: Review?**


	3. Not So Welcoming Feast

**AN: Hey! Here's chapter three. Hope you like it.**

**Also, check out the forum! The links are on my profile.**

* * *

"Welcome."

The Great Hall fell eerily silent, and everyone stopped eating. All eyes looked at the bat-like man that stood at the podium, some with disgust, and some with contempt. Some of the students' hands reached for their wands, wanting to curse the murderer that stood where a great wizard once did into the next century. The Gryffindors, Hufflepuffs, and Ravenclaws struggled to keep themselves under control, knowing that the slightest slip-up could send them straight to Azkaban.

Severus Snape looked over at the sea of students robed in black, ignoring the death glares from some of them. He pursed his lips and cleared his throat. "As you may know, we have made some staffing changes. Please welcome Professor Alecto Carrow, teacher of Muggle Studies, and Professor Amycus Carrow, teacher of the Dark Arts," he said briskly, in a tone that made even Professor Binn's monotone seem like a peppy cheer. Only the Slytherins clapped, while the other students remained stone-faced. "This year, there will be no Quidditch—" this time, the other students' anger could not be contained, and even the Slytherins burst into shouts. Snape looked untroubled, and waved his wand. "_SILENCE_," he snapped.

The Great Hall grew silent again as Snape's Silencing Charm took hold. His cold black eyes swooped across the grim faces of several students, like the Longbottom boy, Draco Malfoy, and the Lovegood girl. They landed on the youngest red-haired Weasley, who was glaring at him with pure, burning hate for wounding her older brother. Snape self-consciously winced, his calm mask slightly faltering. _I'm not a killer… I was trying to help…_ he wanted to shout, but he bit his tongue and continued.

"Hogwarts is now under the Dark Lord's control. You _will_ obey the Carrows and I. Failure to do so will result in your punishment. The Dark Lord does not wish to spill magical blood," he said. It was easy to understand his warning. Defiance and disobedience only led to one thing—Azkaban.

Behind him, a stocky little woman cackled. The teachers, the students, and even Snape stiffened. Alecto Carrow held a glint of insanity in her eyes, which made her have a striking resemblance to her fellow Death Eater, Bellatrix Lestrange.

"Did you have something to add, Professor Carrow?" Snape asked coldly, raising an eyebrow at the female Death Eater. This was not odd behavior—even the Death Eaters didn't get along.

Alecto's beady eyes narrowed. "No, _Headmaster_," she sneered, spitting out the last word. Severus clenched his jaw, turning back to the students. His eyes swept over them once more, and he stepped down from the podium.

"That is all."

The chatter resumed as the students hurriedly ate their food. "Can you believe him? '_The Dark Lord does not wish to spill magical blood_'," Seamus retorted, glaring at Snape, who'd by then returned to his seat. The ex-Potions master looked disheveled, and tired. "He's gonna let those Carrows have at us!"

"You're upset about that? There's no Quidditch!" whined Jimmy Peakes. Seamus rounded on him.

"You bloody idiot! There's more important things that we've got to worry about, and you're worrying about Quidditch?" he snapped. Peakes shrunk in his seat, looking fearfully at Seamus.

Neville put a hand on his fellow seventh year. "Cool it. The teachers are looking," he hissed. He was right. Professor McGonagall and the Carrows were looking their way, curious. Alecto rose from her seat, but Amycus stopped her by putting a hand on her arm.

Seamus glared at Peakes, and went back to stuffing his mouth with treacle tart. "Qui'itch… blasht dem…" he said, his mouth full of the pastry.

* * *

Professor McGonagall's eyes lingered on the Gryffindor table, concerned for her House's students. _Please don't cause any unnecessary trouble_… she thought worriedly, looking at Ginny and Neville. She promised herself to watch them, and to keep them out of harm's way. Ginny looked her way, surprised to see the Transfiguration professor's eyes on her. Minerva gave the youngest Weasley a small smile, trying to make it encouraging and caring. The red-head's eyes widened, and she turned back to her table, wondering why the Professor was looking at her.

"I'm gonna go to bed. Coming, Seamus?" asked Neville, getting up and brushing himself to get rid of any crumbs. Seamus nodded and followed the lanky seventh year to Gryffindor Tower.

"I'll come too. I'm getting a bit sleepy," said Ginny, and followed them, saying goodnight to Parvati and Lavender. They waved their goodbyes, and went back to their hushed conversation.

The three of them walked up the moving stairs in silence. Seamus was muttering quietly to himself, probably ranting about Snape and the Carrows. Ginny and Neville simply walked, lost in their own thoughts. Ginny's mind wandered to Harry's seventeenth birthday, remembering her "gift" to him. Her face turned red and her eyes flashed up to the two boys accompanying her, suddenly self-conscious.

"Blimey, I'm tired," yawned Neville, stuffing his hands into his pockets. Suddenly, a shriek cracked through the silence. "Bloody hell, what was that?" Neville asked, looking around.

"It came from there!" Ginny shouted, pointing down. They ran down the stairs to the Entrance Hall, where Alecto Carrow was standing menacingly over a cowering Hufflepuff first year. The older Slytherins were sneering and pointing at him, laughing. Ginny felt a pang of anger, and she moved to curse Alecto.

Seamus reached out and grabbed Ginny's shoulder. "Are you bloody crazy?" he hissed.

"What is going on here?" Professors McGonagall and Sprout pushed through the crowd. Alecto froze, her wand pointed directly at the first year. "Dear me!" said Professor Sprout, and ran over to check on the Hufflepuff girl.

Alecto sneered at the other two professors. "She was attempting to—"

"I couldn't care less what she was trying to do, Professor Carrow, but this form of punishment is simply unacceptable!" cried Professor Sprout. The first year was crying, a scar etched on her left cheek and chin. "It's okay," Professor Sprout mumbled quietly. "Hannah!"

The Hufflepuff Prefect pushed through the crowd, reaching her Head of House. "Take her to Madam Pomfrey. Ernie, go with her!" said Professor Sprout, gently pushing the girl towards Hannah Abbott. Hannah nodded, and she and Ernie walked the first year to the Hospital Wing.

"You do not have the right to do that!" Professor McGonagall shouted, a steely hardness in her eyes.

"Is there a problem?" asked a surly voice behind them. Everyone turned around. Snape walked towards Alecto, McGonagall, and Sprout with an eerie coldness. "What happened, Minerva?" he asked the Transfiguration teacher, an eyebrow raised.

Minerva glared at the Headmaster disapprovingly. "Professor Carrow believes that she can torture students," she said.

Snape looked over at Alecto with a casual look. "I see no reason why she cannot," he said, and turned around to head to his office. Minerva gaped at him, as Alecto cackled. He cringed at the feeling of McGonagall's disbelieving eyes on his back, and could not help but wince when she shouted at him.

"HOW DARE YOU STOOP TO THEIR LEVEL!" she shrieked. He pursed his lips and looked over his shoulder to an angry Professors McGonagall and Sprout. He opened his mouth to say something, but thought better of it, and continued walking to his office.

_I cannot stop them… please understand that,_ he thought in his mind, as he walked briskly up the moving stairs, his black robes billowing behind him.

Pomona and Minerva glared at Alecto with cold eyes, as if daring her to move. Alecto just cackled, and walked up the stairs with her brother, with the same amount of madness as her fellow Death Eater, Bellatrix. "Nighty night, kiddies!" she shrieked, throwing a curse behind her. The crowd parted, trying to get away from the curse.

By then, Professors Flitwick and Slughorn had joined them. The other two teachers sent themm an '_I'll tell you later_' look, and Professor McGonagall turned to the students. "Gryffindors, follow me!" she said, and a mass of students followed her, going to Gryffindor Tower.

"Hufflepuffs, this way!" called Professor Sprout, and she led them down to the Hufflepuff Basement.

Professor Slughorn turned to Flitwick with a raised eyebrow. "Merlin's beard, I wonder what happened," he said. Flitwick just shrugged and led the Ravenclaws to Ravenclaw Tower.

Slughorn turned to his Slytherins fearfully, as if he expected them to curse him. "Well then. Off we go!" he said in false cheeriness, and he walked them down to the Slytherin Dungeon.

* * *

By then, the Gryffindors and Professor McGonagall had reached Gryffindor Tower. The Fat Lady looked at them curiously. Ginny noticed that there were bags under her eyes, and she looked paler. "Password?" she asked them. She sounded sadder, and much more weary.

"Reproba spes," said Professor McGonagall.

The Fat Lady nodded, and swung her portrait forward, letting the mass of Gryffindors walk through the portrait hole. They all stood in the common room, looking intently at Professor McGonagall, who wore an expression of exhaustion on her face. Everyone got settled, sitting on the chairs, tables, or the ground. McGonagall cleared her throat and looked into the eyes of everyone she could see.

"Things are changing," she said quietly, but it carried throughout the whole common room, and reached everyone's ears. "I will promise all of you, now, that I, Professor Flitwick, Professor Sprout, even Professor Slughorn, and all of the other teachers except for those blasted Carrows, will try, to the best of our ability, to keep all of you safe." She clasped her hands in front of her, and looked at them with a pleading look. "Please, try to keep out of trouble. There is a fine line between bravery and stupidity. All of you, no matter what you think, are smart. Do _not_ do anything foolish," she said.

The Gryffindors nodded, and she looked only slightly relieved. "Dark times have come, dears. Only those who stay together, fight together, and help each other, will help bring these dark times to an end." They nodded again, some squeezing each other's hand, some raising their clenched fists in defiance.

"Sleep well." With that, Professor McGonagall left, walking out of the gloomy Gryffindor Common Room. Students started to file out of the room, saying goodnight, and leaving for their dormitories. After about fifteen minutes, only a few people were left in the room, including Neville, Seamus, Ginny, and some others.

"Well that was inspiring," said Seamus, his chin rested on his knuckles. Neville nodded noncommittally, staring at the flickering flames in the fireplace. "I'm off to bed. Coming, Nev?" he asked, as he stood up.

Neville shook his head. "I'll stay here for a bit. I'll come up in a few," he said, still staring at the flames. He sat cross-legged on the carpeted floor, chin on his fist. His eyes were bleary, lost in his own thoughts. "I wonder… what's going to happen this year," he said, to no one in particular. Ginny shrugged. Neville turned and looked at the younger red- head that was sitting on the couch, hugging her knees to her chest.

"I wonder what the Carrows' classes are going to be like," she said, looking at her feet. "I heard Muggle Studies is required now. She's probably going to teach us rubbish about them."

Neville nodded. "Amycus is probably going to teach us curses and how to use them on first years," he said, disgusted. They sat in silence after that, imagining the horrible things that they would learn that year. "I'm getting peachy. I'm off to bed. G'night, Gin. 'Night, Lavender," he said, yawning, and waved at the girls.

* * *

In the dormitory, Seamus was sitting on his small four-poster bed, staring at the three beds across from him. He heard Neville walking through the door, and pointed at them. "Look," he said, as Neville sat down on his own bed. Neville looked at the three empty beds, now noticing how strange it looked without Harry and Ron conversing about something near their beds, and Dean fiddling with some Muggle thing he'd brought from home.

"Merlin, it's empty," he said, shaking his head.

Only a few years ago, five rambunctious eleven year olds were talking eagerly about their upcoming school year. Now, only two of them remained, and the room felt strangely sadder. Neville and Seamus stared at the beds for a little bit longer, wondering how their friends were doing out wherever they were.

"We'd better get some sleep. Classes start tomorrow," said Seamus.

Neville nodded and changed into his pajamas, plopping onto bed.

* * *

Meanwhile, Ginny was downstairs, her arms around her knees. Her thoughts strayed to her fifth year, when she would take walks around the lake with Harry. He would kiss her, oh so gently, with those soft lips of his, and would wrap his warm arms around her. Where was he? Where were they? _Harry, you bloody git. You'd better send Mum word where you are._, she thought angrily in her head.

Suddenly, there was a loud tap on the window. Colin Creevy peered cautiously at the window, and opened it. There, perched on the windowsill, was a gray owl, having a striking resemblance to a feather duster. "Oi, Ginny! It's for you!" said Colin, holding out a letter towards the redhead. Ginny took it from him, and tore it open.

Her brown eyes scanned the weathered-looking letter, biting her bottom lip as she read news from her family. She turned to Errol, and said, "Come to the girl's dormitory window, will you?" The owl seemed to nod in understanding as she ran up the stairs to the girl's dormitory. She opened the window to let Errol in, and sat down at the desk in the room. "Let me just write back, and I'll send you home, 'kay?" The owl hooted quietly as she pulled out a piece of parchment from her trunk.

_Dear Mum,_

_I'm glad to hear that everyone is well. Except for Ron, of course. Tell him I said 'Get well.'. _

_I'm pretty sure I will do fine this year, seeing as my OWLs weren't all too bad. Neville says that sixth year isn't all that bad._

_Hogwarts hasn't changed that much, apart from the new staff. Surely you've read about it. There's no Quidditch this year, according to Headmaster Snape. Quite a bummer, really. That was what I was looking forward to the most. Ron'll have a fit when you tell him that he might be redoing his seventh year. That means that I'll be in his year!_

_Having Luna over for the holidays seems great. I'll mention it to her when I get the chance. Neville got a growth spurt. He's a good foot taller than me, now. You said you saw his gram? We met her one Christmas, when we were visiting Dad at St. Mungo's. _

_I'm sorry about you being the only female in the house. Maybe you can get Fleur to come over? They hadn't visited since their wedding ended._

_Send Charlie, Fred, George, and Dad my love. I miss you lot already, too._

_Love,_

_Gin_

Ginny looked over the letter over and over again. She folded the piece of parchment and stuffed it in an envelope, handing it to Errol. "Here, off you go now, you ancient owl," she said, and Errol jumped out the window, flying into the dark, starry night sky.

By then, her roommates that had come back from the summer, Sage Sapworthy, Abigail Obgourne, and Vicky Frobisher, had walked in. "Hey, Gin," said Sage, opening her trunk. Ginny muttered a greeting as she put the letter from her mother in the drawer next to her bed. "G'night, girls," said Sage, pulling the worn covers over her, and turned onto her side, falling asleep.

Abigail, Vicky, and Ginny changed into their pajamas, talking in low voices so that they wouldn't wake Sage. After a few minutes, Abigail and Vicky were fast asleep. Ginny's eyes were still open, as she thought about the coming day. She would have to be ready for the upcoming school year. Like the other students, she would have to watch herself, making sure that she didn't get herself or her family in trouble. With a shudder, Ginny closed her eyes, and fell into a light sleep.

* * *

**AN: How'd you like it?**

**Review?**


	4. Diagon Alley

"Oh, Charlie! Look!" said Mrs. Weasley, a hand over her heart.

The two were in Diagon Alley, passing by boarded shops and weathered looking Ministry posters of warnings about You-Know-Who and his Death Eaters. Molly was pointing at Fred and George's shop, Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes. Her second oldest son was looking at the ruined wand shop a few stores down, and turned around.

Charlie's jaw dropped when he saw his brothers' wrecked shop— with glass shattered, items and shelves pushed to the ground, and burn marks on the walls. "Oh, bloody hell," murmured Charlie, and even his mother was too shocked to scold him on his choice of words. Charlie stepped up to the glass, his fingertips and nose pressed against the dusty window. "What have they done?" he asked himself.

Behind him, Molly Weasley had a hand pressed against her mouth. "They'll be devastated, Charlie! All their hard work is gone!" she cried, looking at the battered shop. Charlie bit his lip, and opened the door. "Charlie, don't go in there! You don't know if they have any traps set up!" she hissed. He looked at her, and shrugged, wand out and ready.

He walked carefully, not wanting the shop to be wrecked even more. He crouched down, holding a smashed box of _Anti Gravity Hats_, and blew the dust off of it. "Blimey… they're going to have a heart attack," he whispered, looking around at the room.

"Yeah, they will," said a voice behind him. He jumped, and pointed his wand at the speaker. "S'just me, Weasley. Charlie, right?" asked the girl. He nodded carefully, not lowering his wand. She stretched her hand towards him. "I'm Verity. I used to work for your brothers," she said. She was tall, blond, and pale, with hair that only reached her chin.

He shook her hand. "I remember you. Yeah—I'm Charlie," he said, lowering his wand. He looked around the shop once more. "When did you leave?" he asked, eyes scanning the ruined shelves. The damage looked new, like whoever wrecked the shop came only a few days or weeks ago.

Verity put a hand on one of the few standing shelves, looking at the items sadly. "A few days after the summer started. Your brothers said that they were going to a wedding—I think for your older brother, or something—and that they'd close the shop for a while, to take a break. They said they'd tell me when they would reopen," she said absentmindedly, blowing off the dust on a box. "They haven't written, or anything. I don't mind. I wouldn't have either." Charlie nodded.

"They're at home right now. I know they'd love to come back to the shop, but given the circumstances-" he started.

"It's not exactly the best thing to be doing right now," she finished for him. He nodded, and conjured a bag. "What are you doing?" she asked, curious. She stuffed her hands into her pockets, looking at the red haired man.

He started putting salvageable boxes into the bag. "Taking the stuff back home. I'm sure they'd rather have it with them, rather than people snooping around here and taking it," he said, dropping a box of _Portable Swamps_ into the bag.

"Do you… need help?" she asked. He nodded, and she conjured her own bag, and started dropping boxes into there as well.

Molly poked her head in the door. "What are you—oh," she said, putting the case of butterbeer they'd gotten from the Leaky Cauldron onto a shelf. She summoned a bag, and helped put some of the things from the shelves into her bag.

Charlie looked disdainfully at his bag. Only half of it was filled, meaning that there was very little that he could bring back to his brothers.

* * *

"I'm going to go up to their flat. They might have some things that they forgot up there," said Charlie, climbing up the stairs.

Like the shop, the twins' flat was wrecked. Drawers were open, their mirror was cracked, the door to their closet had been ripped off its hinges, their beds were ripped and pushed onto its side, and their clothes were thrown aimlessly on the ground. "Bloody hell, they went through here, too," Charlie growled. He conjured another bag, and started tossing his brothers' clothes into it.

After about ten minutes, he stood up, satisfied, and pointed his wand up. "_Reparo!_" he said, and watched as the room fixed itself up, leaving it as if the Death Eaters hadn't come and trashed it.

As he went downstairs, he heard his mother inviting Verity over for dinner. "It's okay, Mrs. Weasley. I told my mum and dad that I'd be back within two hours. I really should get going. It was a pleasure to meet you two," she said, and waved goodbye, Apparating.

"She seems like a lovely girl," said Molly. Charlie shrugged, and picked up the bags. "I need to visit Marlene Hopkins. She said she needed some help with her son's healing potion—the poor boy is sick with something nasty."

"D'you want me to come?" asked Charlie, shouldering the heavy bags.

Molly shook her head. "No, dear. I think you should go back home. Tell your brothers what happened to the shop. If you boys are going anywhere, let your me or your father know before you leave," she said sternly. Her son nodded, and Disapparated with a loud crack.

* * *

Meanwhile, at Shell Cottage, Bill was talking to Remus. "You should go back, Remus. D'you have any idea what pain you might be causing to Tonks? She bloody misses you, Remus, _and_ she's pregnant!" he snapped at the weathered looking man sitting down at his kitchen table. Bill glared at Remus as Fleur walked around with plates, trying to get ready for dinner.

"I'm putting her in danger! Can't you understand that, Bill?" said Remus weakly to the younger man. He was dressed in his usual old robes, patched and torn in places, and looked like he hadn't shaved or cut his hair in weeks. Remus sighed. He'd expected Bill to take his side, being a werewolf, well, Bill a half-werewolf. Fleur handed him a glass of water, which he took gratefully, gulping the contents into his throat within seconds.

"The next full moon is in two weeks. Talk to her before then." Bill rounded on him, crossing his arms. "_When was _the last time you talked to her?" he asked, an eyebrow raised.

Remus paled. "Two weeks ago," he said guiltily.

"Merlin, Remus! We're fighting a war here! The least you could do is owl her!" said Bill indignantly. Remus slunk lower into the wooden chair he sat on, feeling slightly ashamed. "And don't give me that rubbish that you're trying to protect her! You bloody hell need to stay with her." Remus let Bill's words hit him like a train, making him feel guiltier and guiltier. "I knew Tonks while we were at Hogwarts, and she was probably the nicest Hufflepuff of the lot. She's strong and capable, but at these times, Remus, you need to stay with her," said Bill quietly.

"I know that I do, but I think I shouldn't!"

Bill put his hands on the other man's shoulders. "Then don't think, Remus."

Remus nodded, and lifted his eyes to look at Bill. He opened his mouth as if to say something, and ran a weathered hand through his hair. "Bill—I—I spoke to Harry," he said. Bill looked at him in surprise, and gestured him to go on. "He told me the same thing you did. He shamed me, Bill. I told him I wanted to go with him, Hermione, and Ron to do whatever they were doing, but my main reason was to be away from Tonks. He told me I should go back. He—he called me a coward," he stuttered, shaking. "He didn't mean anything by it, but I knew that he was upset with me."

Bill kneeled next to Remus, looking the grizzled man in the eye. "Then I suggest you listen to him, Remus," he said quietly, clasping his hands. "Your wife is one month pregnant, and you've left her. Go back to her. She needs you now, more than ever."

Remus nodded, shaking. "I—I will. It's the least I can do… for Harry. And Nymphadora," he added in an afterthought.

Bill smiled at his fellow werewolf. "Thank you—Bill. For talking sense into me," he said.

The eldest Weasley boy shrugged. "Thank Harry, not me." Fleur set a plate of steak and potatoes in front of Remus.

"Eet, Remus. Zhou look like a steek!" said Fleur. Lupin thanked her and wolfed down the steak.

Bill looked at the older man. "What is Harry doing, Remus? Mum says she hasn't heard from the three of them yet. Although Harry sending a letter to us probably isn't the best move," he said. He remembered the angry look on his mother's face when it had been a month since they last heard about them. She'd complained that not even Ron would drop a hint.

The grizzled man shrugged. "He wouldn't tell me anything," he said through mouthfuls of potatoes. "He claims that Dumbledore gave him a mission that only he could do. Which I think is ridiculous." Lupin rolled his eyes. "Dumbledore probably meant something else, and Harry interpreted it wrong. The Headmaster was a man full of riddles and clouded messages," said Remus.

"'E never vas a straight-forvard person," mused Fleur.

Remus shook his head, chuckling. "A man of mystery, he was."

* * *

At the Burrow, Charlie ran up the ancient wooden stairs leading up to the twins' bedroom, with the bags over his shoulders. He kicked the twins' door open, panting. "Blimey, Charlie, you'd think that you—what're they?" asked Fred.

Charlie dropped the bags of merchandise onto the wooden floor. "Your things. Your shop—" panted Charlie, stammering.

"What about the shop?" demanded George, standing up. Their older brother could not meet their eyes, and their hearts fell. "What's happened, Charlie? Spit it out," snapped George.

"It's wrecked. Shelves are on the ground—the walls are scorched—everything is in ruins. I got the salvageable stuff, but there were loads of destroyed things."

The twins paled, and dived towards the bags, taking out random boxes. "This is it?" asked Fred quietly. Charlie nodded. "Those bloody bastards," Fred growled, a hand going towards his wand. "We're back to where we started."

George frowned. "I can't believe they did this. It's going to take ages for us to remake everything," he said. "We're going to have to go to the shop tomorrow. Maybe we can fix some things."

"I'll come with you. I just remembered that Mum forgot to get a spell book she wanted from Flourish and Blotts," said Charlie.

Fred gaped. "Flourish and Blotts is still up?" he asked, eyes flashing towards the bags.

"It should be, unless the Death Eaters or Snatchers have a thing against books," retorted George.

Suddenly the door opened and slammed shut. The boys ran downstairs, wands out and ready. "Who's there?" demanded Charlie, right before they reached the kitchen. Arthur Weasley, looking tired and worn, jumped when he saw his sons pointing their wands at him. "What is your greatest ambition?" Charlie asked cautiously.

"To find out how Muggles keep aeroplanes airborne," said Arthur tiredly, sitting himself down on a chair near the fireplace. His sons relaxed, putting their wands into their pockets.

"How was work, Dad?" Charlie asked, as they sat down next to their father.

Arthur shook his head, wiping his glasses on his shirt. "Horrible. Albert Runcorn decided to have a change of heart, apparently," he said.

Charlie raised an eyebrow. "Runcorn? Didn't he turn in Dirk Cresswell for faking his family tree?" he asked, remembering the tall, broad man he'd met once when he visited Bill.

Mr. Weasley nodded. "Yes. But apparently, according to Eric Munch, Runcorn was leading a group Muggle-borns out of the Ministry, letting them escape. Eric said that he threatened a security wizard to let them out," he said.

Fred and George gaped. "I guess he can't make up his mind. Should I help the Muggle-borns, or should I convict them," said Fred, rolling his eyes.

"Yaxley had us all questioned. That's why I'm home so late," said Mr. Weasley.

Charlie jumped. "They questioned you?" he asked.

"Don't worry, all Yaxley asked me is if I knew that Runcorn was going to help the Muggle-borns escape," he said. There was a knock on the door, and the four Weasleys jumped. "Who's there?" asked Arthur.

"Molly," said their mother. Charlie moved to open the door, but Arthur held him back, going to the door himself, wand out and ready in his hand.

"What is your greatest fear?" asked Mr. Weasley through the door.

"My family, and Harry, dead," she said in a trembling voice, remembering two years ago when she had encountered a boggart in Grimmauld Place. Her husband's expression softened, and he let his wife through the door.

"Did you help Mrs. Hopkins?" asked Charlie, helping his mother start making dinner.

Molly nodded. "Their poor boy, Carl, got Scrofungulus. He should be better in a few days," she said, and glanced towards the boys, who were oddly quiet. "Are you two okay?" she asked, concerned. The two twins looked up sullenly, thinking about what they were going to do with their destroyed shop. Molly, seeing this, wrapped her arms around her two sons, swallowing hard. "You can manage. I know you can. If you could get to that point in your business, then you can do it again," she said softly.

They nodded determinedly, a smile forming on their lips. "Then we must get to work immediately!" they said simultaneously, mocking Percy's pompous manner. Fred and George sprinted upstairs, as Molly, Arthur, and Charlie sighed.

"What have you done, Mum?" asked Charlie, shaking his head at the sound of cracks and sizzles started to come from the twins' room.

She shrugged, crossing her arms. "I really don't know."

* * *

The next day Arthur woke up to the smell of bacon and eggs coming from the kitchen. Sleepily, he dragged his legs off the bed and trudged downstairs, getting ready for work. "Good morning, Molly," he said tiredly to his wife, kissing her on the top of her head. When she didn't answer, he asked, "Are you okay, dear? You're awfully quiet." Now that he thought about it, his wife did indeed look rather pale.

She opened her mouth, and paused, as if contemplating whether to tell him or not. "Kingsley is on the run. The Snatchers are searching for him," she said quietly.

Arthur paled, sitting frozen on his chair. "What?"

She swallowed. "Kingsley broke the Taboo. He sent a Patronus before you woke up, and explained what happened," she said.

"Oh, Merlin, Kingsley," Mr. Weasley moaned. "I hope the poor chap's okay." Mrs. Weasley set a plate full of eggs and bacon in front of him, and he hungrily ate, checking his watch every few minutes. "I'd better head to work. I don't think they'd take it kindly if I was late," he said, shoveling a spoonful of eggs into his mouth before wiping it with a napkin. He reached over to grab his coat and wand. "Bye, love," he said, pecking his wife on the cheek before walking quickly out of the Burrow.

Molly's mind flashed back to only a few minutes ago, when Shacklebolt's Patronus showed up.

"_They're tracking me. You might already know this, but there's a Taboo on You-Know-Who's name, and that's how I got caught. Be careful, and don't contact me. I'll contact you," _said Kingsley's lynx Patronus.

"This is a mess," whispered Molly, before walking up the stairs to wake up her sons.


	5. Anti Muggle Studies

**AN: I'M BACK! After a year-long wait, I have FINALLY brought you the next chapter. Yay! Please excuse any spelling mistakes, because this was hastily made at about one in the morning. Anyways, I offer my sincere apologies and hope you enjoy this chapter.**

* * *

"Gin, wake up. Ginny. C'mon, wake up, Weasley. Do I have to get Abigail to breathe on you with her nasty morning breath?"

A brown haired girl across the room crossed her arms indignantly. "Hey!" The other girl grinned apologetically.

The red head's eyes fluttered open, and she yawned sleepily. "Gah… what is it, Vic?" she asked, sitting herself upright. Her vision cleared as she rubbed her eyes, and she swung her legs off her bed. "Augh… I don't think my stomach put up with dinner too well last night," Ginny murmured.

"If you want breakfast, get ready. We've only got an hour before classes start," said Sage, who was pulling her robes onto her small frame. Ginny nodded, and reached into her trunk for some school robes. Ginny brushed her hair in front of the medium-sized mirror in their room, trying to comb out the tangles. "Oi, there's a letter for you, Ab," said Sage, looking at a brown owl that was perched on the window.

Abigail reached for the letter and put it in her bag. "I'll read it later," she said quietly to the bird, and it flew away.

* * *

Vicky, Abigail, Ginny, and Sage all walked down to breakfast together, talking in low voices about the new teachers. They sat in front of Neville and Seamus, who were hungrily eating breakfast, spooning mouthful after mouthful of food into their hungry bodies. Seamus greeted the girls with a wave, and wiped his mouth.

The sandy-haired boy shot a dark glance at Alecto Carrow, who was sneering at several first year Ravenclaws. The first years looked fearfully up at the Muggle Studies professor, slowly edging away from her mad glare.

Neville looked over at the Hufflepuffs. "Madam Pomfrey's keeping that girl in the hospital wing for a few days. Hannah says she's in shock. The girl won't eat or sleep."

They all looked over at the table where Hannah and her friends usually sat. The four of them (Ernie, Hannah, Justin, and Susan) were looking uneasily around, with Susan looking paler than usual.

Ginny felt a twinge of pity for the girl and a pang of anger at the female Carrow. "I hope I don't get her first," said Ginny, as Professor McGonagall walked briskly towards them, laden with students' timetables. "D'you need help with that, Professor?" Ginny asked.

Professor McGonagall shook her head. "Thank you dear, but I can manage. Let's see, who have we got here? Longbottom, Finnigan, Sapworthy, Frobisher, and Weasley." She flipped through the papers, looking for their timetables. "Ah, here we are. Here you go. Finnigan, here. Frobisher and Longbottom. Obgourne and Sapworthy… and here's Weasley," she said, handing them their schedules.

Dennis, Abigail, and Colin shifted uncomfortably. "Professor, what about us? Where are ours?" asked Colin curiously. McGonagall froze, looking at the Creevy brothers and Abigail with a strange expression.

"I-I-" she stuttered, and walked hurriedly away to another table of Gryffindors.

The eight of them looked at McGonagall, wondering why she would act so strangely. Ginny broke their momentary silence, and held out her timetable for them to see. "I've got Muggle Studies last and… I have Flitwick first," she said. The others compared schedules, talking in low whispers.

Neville checked his watch. "We'd better head off to Potions, Shay, or else Slughorn might give us a detention," he said to Seamus, looking at his timetable. Seamus shrugged, and shouldered his bag, waving sullenly behind him. "Bye, guys," said Neville, and walked with Seamus out of the Great Hall.

Luna walked over to them, not skipping like she usually did. Vicky, Abigail, and Sage looked away, not really approving of Luna. Ginny rolled her eyes and looked at Luna apologetically, as the Creevy brothers greeted the Ravenclaw.

"Where are you going first?" she asked conversationally.

"Charms," said Ginny, glancing at her timetable.

Luna nodded, and gestured for her to follow her. "I've got that with you. Can we walk over there together?" she asked. Ginny nodded, and followed the blond haired girl, curious, waving goodbye to her friends.

The two walked in silence towards the third floor, until Luna spoke.

"Are you okay?" asked Ginny, concerned for one of her best friends. Luna nodded noncommittally, biting her bottom lip, her brow furrowed, as if she was debating whether to tell the other girl what was on her mind. "You can tell me whatever's bothering you, Luna."

They were halfway to the third floor when Luna spoke. "Amycus hexed a third-year last night. He barged into Ravenclaw Tower, and most of us were in the common room," she said quietly. Ginny froze, stopping. "Do you remember Stewart Ackerley, the boy who kept twitching during the Sorting? He had to go to Madam Pomfrey."

Ginny gaped, remembering the nervous, scared boy that had been sweating bullets during his Sorting. "Merlin, why isn't anyone stopping this? This is—"

Luna cut her off, throwing a warning look towards a group of Slytherins that were walking towards their Dark Arts class. "I needed to talk to you about the D.A.," she said quietly, taking out the gold coin that Hermione had given them two years before.

Ginny raised an eyebrow. "What about it?" she asked.

"Don't you think we should start it up again? I think it's what Harry would want us to do," said Luna. Ginny swallowed, thinking about her ex-boyfriend on the run. "Harry would want us to make a stand here in Hogwarts."

Ginny nodded with a determined look on her face. Her thoughts strayed to the Hufflepuff first year and Stewart. _Nothing like that should happen again_, she thought angrily. "We should have Neville lead," she said suddenly.

"Lead what?" asked a voice behind them.

Neville walked up to the two girls, shouldering his bag. "I forgot something in the Great Hall. Had to go back," he said, when they looked at him curiously, wondering why he wasn't in class. He stood next to Luna, raising an eyebrow. "What were you talking about?" he asked.

"We'll tell you later," said Ginny in a low voice, gesturing towards a Death Eater that was patrolling the hallways. The two said goodbye to Neville and rushed to Charms.

* * *

"Come on; come on, you two. We're just about to start," said Professor Flitwick as Ginny and Luna walked into class. They muttered apologies to Flitwick and took their seats in the corner. Throughout the class, Ginny noticed that Flitwick was moving jerkily and nervously, occasionally eying the door.

Luna poked Ginny in the arm, and leaned over to whisper in the red head's ear. "Your friends are missing. And so is Colin," she said, looking over towards the empty seats across from them.

"So what were you talking about?" asked Neville, as he walked with Ginny, Luna, and Seamus to the Great Hall for lunch. Ginny looked over at Luna, who nodded. The redhead rounded on Neville, rummaging in her pocket. She pulled out a gold coin, and held it up level to Neville's eyes. "A Galleon? What about it—Oh," he said quietly, his brow furrowing. He paled and shook his head violently, closing his eyes shut. "No! No, no, no, no, no! I can't!" he said, stuttering, starting to walk away.

Luna put a hand on Neville's shoulder. "We'll help you. Ginny and I. Maybe even Seamus, if he wants to," she said quietly, looking at Ginny and Seamus. They nodded. "You won't be alone, Neville."

Neville shook, and continued walking. He turned around to them, his face red. "I-I- I want to do something. I want to fight. B-but I just can't. I'm not brave," he said angrily, and kept walking away. Ginny rushed after him. He sensed her coming closer, and rounded on her. She shrunk a little, having never seen Neville this angry. "Please, I'll help! But I don't want to be leader," he said shakily. Seamus and Luna caught up to them.

"None of us will be official leaders. The official leader is Harry. No one can take his place. We're just—"

"Acting leaders," finished Ginny. Luna nodded.

Seamus cleared his throat, fiddling with his hands. "I'm not acting leader, though. You three—you were with him at the Department of Mysteries. You fought with him. I think you all should be the heads," he said quietly. The other three froze, remembering the night that they fought alongside the trio.

"We'll talk about this later," said Ginny, eying a group of hovering Slytherins. The others nodded and proceeded to the Great Hall.

* * *

The four of them sat down at their usual table, where Sage was sitting. Ginny dropped her bag down onto the seat and looked worriedly at Sage, who was oddly pale. Her eyes were red, and her cheeks were slightly swollen.

"Are you okay?" asked Ginny. Sage shook her head violently.

"Th-they took the Dennis a-and Colin," she said. Ginny's heart fell, and her eyes widened. "It was horrible! Th-they took them away, right in the hallway, as w-w-we were walking to Charms." Sage started crying as well.

Neville shook, still standing. "W-why?" he asked shakily.

"They're Muggle-borns," breathed Ginny, realizing why they were taken. _They didn't hear about the Death Eaters taking over the Ministry_, she thought. _They don't hear anything about the Wizarding world until they get here._

Vic walked in with Hannah Abbott, pale. They seemed to know about Colin and Dennis.

"Where's Abigail?" asked Hannah, wondering where the girl was. All of them shrugged, quietly eating.

Neville picked at his food, feeling less hungry. Suddenly, Ginny jolted, as a chill ran down her spine, and a horrible thought filled her mind. "Abigail!" she suddenly said.

The others looked at her with curiosity, but suddenly understood why their Muggle-born friend was missing. "Oh no," Sage wailed.

Ginny's chest boiled in anger at the Death Eaters that had taken one of her best friends, and she narrowed her eyes at one patrolling the hallway.

They sat in silence, none of them eating. Seamus shook his head and spoke up. "Bloody 'ell, in front of all those people!" he said angrily.

Neville met Ginny, Luna, and Seamus's eyes. They nodded at him.

Ginny checked her timetable under the table and groaned, seeing that they had Muggle Studies next. "C'mon, Luna. We've got Muggle Studies," she said, swinging her bag over her shoulder. Luna nodded, picking her bag up as well. "We'll see you all later," said Ginny to the group, but meeting Seamus and Neville's eyes. Neville stood up suddenly, after swallowing a chunk of chicken.

"We've got Muggle Studies next. They're probably combining our years," he said. He looked at Seamus, who nodded, looking at his schedule. "We'll come with you."

With that, the four of them waved goodbye to the others.

* * *

"Welcome, dears," said Alecto Carrow, "to Muggle Studies."

Ginny rolled her eyes, and absentmindedly twirled her quill between her fingers. Beside her, Luna was resting her chin on her hands, hardly listening. At the front of the classroom, the female Carrow displayed ghastly images of Muggles being tortured and killed. "They are dirty little creatures, those Muggles. Like animals. Stupid and nasty."

"How much Muggle blood has you and your brother got, Professor Carrow?" spat Neville before he could stop himself.

Everyone looked at him in shock, and cringed as the Death Eater flicked her wand at him, making a nasty looking gash appear on his cheek. Luna nearly cried out his name, but stopped herself, knowing that if she did, she would probably have the same fate.

Neville winced and held his sleeve to his cheek to try to stop the flow of blood, and with a smug air, Alecto whirled around and continued her monologue about Muggles.

"Since the beginning of Wizardry, Muggles have attempted to drive wizards away by being vicious to us. As you can see now," she said, with a sneering grin, "order has been restored, and Muggles are in their proper place."

She continued her droning speech, and after what felt like eternity, they were all dismissed.

"Bloody 'ell, Neville. You'd better watch yourself, or else you're gonna 'ave more of those," remarked Seamus, pointing at the gash on Neville's cheek.

Luna pointed her wand at the bloody scar and said, "_Vulnera Sanentur_." Instantly, the gash stopped bleeding and was healed for the most part.

"Vulnera Sanentur? Judging by the way things are going, I better remember that one," said Seamus.

* * *

During her free period, instead of practicing Quidditch as she would've normally done in a regular school year, Ginny was walking to the library with Luna, Neville, and Seamus. The four of them found a corner in the back of the large room, eying the students around them carefully. Seamus opened his mouth to speak, but Ginny stopped him. "Hold on," she said, and casted a charm around the four of them to make their voices hidden from the people around them.

"Brilliant," said Luna. Ginny smiled.

Seamus leaned forward, and said, "We have to start up Dumbledore's Army again."

Neville shifted uncomfortably, remembering their conversation from earlier. "I'm fine with starting it up again, but I don't think I have the guts to lead this thing."

Luna nodded. "Well you still have time to think. In the meantime, I think we can restart it now."

"But what would we do? Just restarting it isn't going to help anyone," said Ginny thoughtfully.

Suddenly, their conversation was interrupted by a Death Eater pulling a third-year by their collar out of the library. "You're coming down to the dungeons with me, little boy," he sneered, as the students standing around watched in fear. Slowly, everyone went back to their work, and the four continued talking.

"We could help break them out," said Seamus. When Ginny and the other two looked at him curiously, he continued. "Haven't 'ya heard? They've been taking a bunch of people that talk back into the dungeons. We could go in at night and break 'em out. We just need more people."

The other three thought about it carefully, and agreed.

After a while, Neville took out the D.A. coin that Hermione had given to every member. "I think it's about time to use these again, don't you?"


	6. News

George Weasley stood in the shadows of the entrance to an old, rundown, dingy pub, where the first broadcast of Potterwatch was taking place. His wand was clutched tightly in his hand, as he stood guard, watching the streets carefully.

"Hello, listeners, and welcome to the first broadcast of Potterwatch. We're glad you were able to turn in on this fine evening. My name is River," said Lee Jordan, his wand tip against his throat. "Tonight, I'm joined by Royal and Rapier."

The other two, Kingsley and Fred, respectively, said their greetings, and Lee turned to his list of missing witches and wizards.

"To start off, I will be listing the names of recently deceased witches and wizards, starting from the beginning of the Hogwarts school year. Fortunately, tonight, this list isn't long," said Lee, pausing to take a breath. "Charity Burbage, Alastor Moody, Rufus Scrimgeour, Megan Jones, Eleanor Brainstone…"

He continued this list for about another minute. Once it was over, he turned to Kingsley. "I will now turn it over to Royal, who will tell us the current going-ons in the Ministry of Magic."

"Thank you, River. If you haven't already heard, on September second, the Ministry of Magic was infiltrated by Harry Potter. It has been reported that Potter and two accomplices went into the Ministry, disguised as Ministry workers Mafalda Hopkirk, Reginald Cattermole, and Albert Runcorn. The workers have gone under extreme interrogation, with the exception of Reginald Cattermole, who fled the scene with his wife and many Muggle-borns scheduled to be interrogated that day."

Lee smiled. "Fascinating. Thank you, Royal. We now turn to Rapier, for news regarding Hogwarts."

* * *

"Arthur, dinner's ready!"

Arthur Weasley was sitting in the attic of the Burrow. Tiredly, he walked downstairs where his wife was setting down plates for dinner. "Smells delicious, Molly," he said, walking into the kitchen. His wife nodded her thanks, and she began pouring bowls of French onion soup.

There was a knock on the door, and Arthur took out his wand, eyeing the door carefully. "Oi, it's Fred and George!" one of the twins yelled through the door crack. Arthur opened the door, his wand still firmly pointed at the twins.

"George, what car did you use to bring Harry Potter here in your third year?" he asked the twin missing an ear.

"That would be a Ford Anglia," said George. Arthur nodded, letting him into the house.

He turned to the other twin. "What was the color of the jumper that your mother knitted you for Christmas in your second year?"

Fred smiled, moving towards the door. "Blue."

Arthur sighed in relief, letting his other son into the house.

"How was your day, Dad?" asked George, sitting down at the kitchen table, looking hungrily at the food that his mother had prepared.

Arthur took a seat as well, and said, "Tiring. Yours?"

George and Fred grinned at each other. "Remember the broadcast we were experimenting with a few weeks ago?" asked George.

Molly and Arthur looked up curiously at the twins. "Yes," said Arthur slowly.

"We started it up. Our first broadcast was about an hour ago. It's brilliant," said Fred. His twin nodded in agreement. "Now people have access to the real news, not just the rubbish that the Daily Prophet's been printing."

As crazy and dangerous his sons' ideas were, Arthur had to give it to them—they had more guts than he did. "Well I'm very proud of you, boys. Not many people would do this," he said, smiling at them. They were interrupted by a bang on the window, and the four of them jumped, pulling out their wands. "Hold on, it's only Errol!" said Molly, getting up to let the ancient owl in.

The others relaxed, amused that they'd made such a fuss over the bird. "It's a letter from Ginny," said Molly. Opening it carefully, she read the contents inside.

**(Everything in bold has been crossed out. FanFiction has not yet been able to keep Strikeouts in the format)**

_Dear Mum, Dad, and anyone who is still at the Burrow,_

_School has been _**_rubbish__crap_**_ okay. Unfortunately __that **slimy git **__Headmaster Snape has cancelled Quidditch this year. I was looking forward to it._

_My schoolwork has been easy this year. We have two new _**_nasty_**_ professors called the Carrows. I believe you know them. Alecto Carrow is teaching Muggle Studies __which is a** load of bull**__. Amycus Carrow is teaching __Defense Against__ the Dark Arts **(**_**_also bull_**_**)**. Most of the other teachers are back and well. Professor McGonagall is in good health. _**_I can tell she hates the new teachers._**

_Nearly everyone is here and (for the most part) safe. Neville and Luna send their regards._

_I hope all of you are safe at home. I miss all of you, even the twins. There's nothing more I want than to see all of you. _

_Send everyone my love,_

_Gin_

Molly read the letter out to the other three, and Arthur felt slightly scared for his youngest child. "Well… at least we know she's okay," said Molly, pressing the letter to her heart. She looked back at it, smiling at the crossed out lines on the paper, amused that her daughter inherited her fiery temper.

"She misses us, too? Shocker," remarked George.

The other two male Weasleys laughed, as Molly walked up the stairs to go write her daughter a quick letter.

Several minutes later, a voice yelled, "Molly!"

She looked up from writing the letter and raced down the stairs. "What is it, Arthur?" she asked, expecting an intruder. "Oh, Remus! It's good to see you, dear," she said, smiling at the weary figure in their doorway.

He returned the smile, as Arthur offered him a cup of tea. "I bring news. Good news," he said tiredly. Taking a seat at the kitchen table, he sipped his tea gratefully, and looked at the four Weasleys. "Tonks is pregnant." His announcement was followed by cheers from the others, and he grinned ruefully, looking younger than he had in years. "That's not all," he said, and their applause died down.

Leaning forward, he clasped his hands together. "I have spoken to Harry, Hermione, and your son," he said quietly. Molly's heart leapt, happy that they were still alive. The twins' faces broke out in smiles, relieved that their younger brother was fine.

Arthur leaned back, curious. "How are they?"

"In good health, I assure you."

Fred piped up. "Did they mention anything about what the bloody hell they're doing?"

"Language, Fred," Molly snapped, hitting her son lightly on the shoulder.

"They didn't give me any details, but they told me they were looking for something. Didn't say what. Just told me it had to do with Vol-"

Arthur cut Remus off. "Don't say the name. It's Taboo now. Kingsley used it, and they were on him immediately," he said.

Remus's eyes widened. "Is he okay?"

"Yeah. We were just doing Potterwatch with him about two hours ago. He's fine," said George.

Remus sat back, relieved. "Good. Hate to think anything would happen to him. He's a good man, that Shacklebolt. Helped me out a few times, he did," said Remus. For about twenty minutes, he sat with the four Weasleys, chatting away merrily, until he realized what time it was. "Oh, Merlin, look at the time. Sorry to prolong my visit, Molly, Arthur. I must be getting back. Tonks is probably wondering where I am. Have a good night," he said, and left.

* * *

The next day, Remus Lupin woke in his mother-in-law's house, where his wife was peacefully sleeping beside him. He smiled, and scribbled a note to her, telling her that he was going to check on the 'Golden Trio' before breakfast.

He dressed himself and Disapparated to Grimmauld Place, where he was met with an unpleasant surprise.

Immediately after he appeared, he was surrounded by Death Eaters. "Look! It's the werewolf!" yelled one of them.

"Merlin!" he cursed, firing hexes at his attackers. "_Confringo! Stupefy!_" he yelled, and tried to Apparate away, but not before a Death Eater grabbed him. They appeared in an alley, and Remus attempted to kick the man in the groin. He hexed him, sending him flying into a brick wall.

Punching the other man that had also followed him, he Apparated again, this time to a busy London street. Making sure that no one had followed him, he Apparated home, flat on his back.

"Remus!"

The sound of his wife's voice was music to his ears, compared to what he had heard minutes before. "You're bleeding, Remus!"

He looked at his body, and realized that he was, _in fact_, bleeding. His brown suit was stained with the crimson substance, and he winced. He was shocked he hadn't felt the wounds earlier. "Mum, bring some Dittany!" Andromeda Tonks appeared by his daughter's side with a small bottle.

She put a few drops on his bleeding shoulder and chest; making most of his scars go away. "Remus, what happened?" she asked worriedly.

"Death Eaters—ambush—Grimmauld Place—trio not there anymore," he groaned, struggling to speak.

Andromeda looked worriedly at her son-in-law. "Death Eaters at Grimmauld Place? Why would they be there?" she asked.

Tonks wrapped her husband's shoulder with gauze. "They must've realized that Harry had been there, and was making sure if he came back or not," she said, and helped Remus sit up. He mumbled his thanks. "Well, I'm glad you're safe," said Nymphadora, kissing him on the cheek. "Come in, Mum's made breakfast."

At the kitchen table, Remus wolfed**(1)** down the eggs that Andromeda had prepared for him, filling his stomach quickly. Suddenly, Tonks asked, "D'you think that the baby is going to be a Metaphorphmagus?"

Remus's fork stopped halfway to his mouth, freezing. He put his fork down, and said, "I hope. The baby will fare better with more of your genes than mine." He smiled at his wife, who patted his hand. "Imagine a baby boy or girl, constantly changing their hair color. That'd make a happy baby."

Andromeda smiled at the couple, and said, "The baby's lucky to have you two as parents."

* * *

**(2)**Later that week, towards nightfall, in a forest far from the Tonks household, Ted Tonks sat with Dean Thomas, Dirk Cresswell, Griphook, and Gornuk. The five of them sat around a fire, waiting for a salmon to finish cooking. At last, the fish was done, and Dirk said, "Here, Griphook, Gornuk,", handing the two goblins a slice. They thanked him.

"So, you three have been on the run how long?" asked Ted, taking a bite out of the salmon that Dirk passed him.

"Six weeks…. Seven… I forget," said Dirk tiredly. He took, eat his food hungrily. "Met up with Griphook in the first couple of days and joined forces with Gornuk not long after. Nice to have a bit of company. What made you leave, Ted?"

Ted swallowed his food, and said, "Knew they were coming for me. Heard Death Eaters were in the area last week and decided I'd better run for it. Refused to register as a Muggle-born on principle, see, so I knew it was a matter of time, knew I'd have to leave in the end. My wife should be okay, she's pure-blood." He thought about his wife, his daughter, and his new son-in law, and hoped to whatever godly power that was up there that they were safe.

"And then I met Dean here, what, a few days ago, son?" he asked, turning to the dark-skinned boy on his right.

"Yeah," said Dean quietly.

Dirk regarded him with a sympathetic eye. "Muggle-born, eh?" he asked.

Dean shrugged. "Not sure. My dad left my mum when I was a kid. I've got no proof he was a wizard, though," he said, his mouth full of food.

There were a few minutes of silence, until Ted spoke. "I've got to say, Dirk. I'm surprised to run into you. Pleased, but surprised. Word was that you'd been caught."

Dirk Cresswell grinned slightly. "Aye, I was. I was halfway to Azkaban when I made a break for it, Stunned Dawlish, and nicked his broom. It was easier than you'd think; I don't reckon he's quite right at the moment. Might be Confunded. If so, I'd like to shake the hand of the witch or wizard who did it. Probably safed my life," he said, chuckling.

Ted turned to the goblins. "And where do you two fit in? I, er, had the impression the goblins were for You-Know-Who, on the whole."

Griphook looked at him coldly. "You had a false impression. We goblins take no sides. This is a wizards' war."

"How come you're in hiding, then?" asked Dean, before taking a bite out of his salmon.

"I deemed it prudent. Having refused what I considered an impertinent request, I could see that my personal safety was in jeopardy."

Ted looked curiously at Gornuk. "What'd they ask you to do?"

"Duties ill-befitting the dignity of my race. I am not a house-elf," replied the goblin.

Dirk turned to the other goblin. "What about you, Griphook?" He looked at the wizard carefully, wiping his mouth.

"Similar reasons. Gringotts is no longer under the control of my race. I recognize no Wizarding master," he said, and added something under his breath in Gobbledegook, which caused Gornuk to laugh.

"What's the joke?" asked Dean, looking suspiciously at them.

Dirk replied, "He said that there are things wizards don't recognize, either."

There was a pause, and Dean said, "I don't get it."

Griphook smiled. "I had my small revenge before I left."

"Good man—goblin, I should say. Didn't manage to lock a Death Eater up in one of the old high-security vaults, I suppose?" asked Ted hopefully.

* * *

**(1)No pun intended :D**

**(2)Dialogue borrowed from **_**Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows**_**, Chapter Fifteen, **_**"The Goblin's Revenge"**_**, Pages 295-297. I own nothing.**


	7. Ruthless

Luna Lovegood walked into Ravenclaw Tower, turning a rather shiny object in her hand. She sat down in the Common Room, humming softly to herself, and continued to turn the object in her pale hand. Padma Patil, Michael Corner, and Terry Boot sat in the corner, watching the blond girl curiously.

"What do you reckon she's holding?" asked Terry.

Michael squinted, trying to see the object. "No bloody clue, but it looks familiar…" he said, rubbing his eyes to get a clearer look. "Looks like a… Galleon?"

"That's it?" asked Padma. Michael nodded, sitting back. Luna caught the dark-skinned girl's eye, looking meaningfully at the coin and back to her. "Wait… that's the coin that Hermione gave us," she said suddenly, in a hushed voice. She fished through her purse to look for the coin that the Gryffindor girl had handed to them two years before, and pulled it out.

"Hey, look, the date's changed! To Saturday?" said Michael, looking at the numbers. Padma shrugged, and the two boys checked their own coins, noticing the date change as well. "We're having a meeting tomorrow, I'm guessing?" asked Michael.

The three of them looked at the blond Ravenclaw, who mouthed, "_Spread the word_." They nodded, and anxiously put their coins back in their pockets, going up to their respective dormitories.

Padma sat on her bed, looking at her roommates, Cho Chang and Lisa Turpin. Mandy Brocklehurst, a Muggle-born, was missing, and was not allowed to return to Hogwarts. She took her coin out again and deliberately turned it in her hand, just as Luna had a few minutes ago. Cho and Lisa looked at her curiously, but realization dawned on them, and quietly, they searched for their own coins.

"Good night, ladies," said Padma, and pulled the covers over her head, closing her eyes.

In the Gryffindor Common Room, there was a slight buzz of conversation, low and hushed. Ginny, Neville, and Seamus, walked in quietly, their school bags slung over their shoulders. The redheaded girl and the Irish accented boy held golden Galleons in their hands. She attempted to make eye contact with several D.A. members sitting in the Common Room, and gestured to her hand, where she held the coin.

They looked up, curious, and saw the coin in their hands. Nigel Wespurt jumped, and fished for the coin in his pocket. Seamus looked at him in the eye, and glanced around the room. "_Tell the others,_" his brown eyes said, and Nigel nodded, before turning to Lavender Brown and Romilda Vane, who were talking quietly in a corner.

At breakfast the next day, Hannah Abbott noticed that Anthony Goldstein was fidgeting with a Galleon in his hand. Across from him, Cho Chang was holding one as well. She coughed a few times, getting the attention of the Hufflepuffs. Hannah elbowed an eating Ernie Macmillan, who looked over at the Ravenclaw table.

Cho looked away, held the gold coin inconspicuously to Padma Patil, and started a conversation about the coin. "This Galleon is _very_ special, you know. My grandmother gave it to me. A sort of good luck charm. It's been _very helpful_," she said, loudly.

She looked up again at the Hufflepuffs, who nodded.

Ernie swallowed a spoonful of eggs, before remarking, "This is crazy." Hannah looked at him, a steely determined look in her eyes. She looked at her own coin under the table, gripping it hard.

"Crazy, yes. Foolish, yes. Brave? Absolutely," she said, before sipping some pumpkin juice. With that, she got up, and started walking to Potions.

* * *

She was soon joined by Leanne, Susan Bones, and Luna Lovegood. Susan was looking rather pale, and as they turned the corner towards the Dungeons, her eyes widened. Her three companions looked at her strangely, until they saw what she was looking at.

"_DUMBLEDORE'S ARMY : STILL RECRUITING_"

The large red letters were painted messily on the wall, but the message was very legible.

Soon, the four of them were joined by several other Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff students that were on their way to Potions. They all stopped to stare at the message on the wall.

"Oi, what's the holdup here?" scowled a gruff voice. Thorfinn Rowle walked down the stairs, and froze once he saw the message.

He glared at the students with his black eyes, daring any of them to speak. "Which one o' you diddit? Huh? 'Mon now! Talk!" he snapped. Several students shook, looking fearfully at the Death Eater. Slowly, he turned to Luna. "Was it you, Lovegood?" he spat.

Luna looked him back in the eye, not moving. "If it _was_ me, I hardly think I would be standing around to admire my work while all of you Death Eaters are prowling around the hallways," she said forcefully. Everyone held their breath, scared for the young Ravenclaw.

"You stupid little girl! How dare you speak to me like that?" screamed Rowle, and shot a curse at her. Suddenly, a gash appeared on Luna's face, and she winced, trying to stop her tears of pain from falling.

"Rowle!" a stern voice behind them snapped. They turned to find Professor McGonagall, accompanied by Professor Flitwick, standing at the bottom of the staircase. The two teachers pushed through the crowd, and Flitwick stood defensively in front of Luna, while McGonagall pointed her wand at the Death Eater. "Go to your classes!" she called to the other students.

They scurried away quickly, leaving them.

"You will _not _harm the students whilst I am here," said Minerva, staring daggers at the Death Eater. Rowle sneered, put his wand back in his robes, and walked away. She immediately turned to Luna. "Are you okay, dear?"

Luna nodded rubbing her eyes. "I'm fine, Professor," she said quietly.

Minerva nodded, and said, "Go on to Potions, then. Professor Slughorn should give you some Dittany for that cut." Gently pushing the girl in the direction of the Potions classroom, she looked up at the writing on the wall.

"What could they possibly be doing?" she asked Flitwick.

* * *

Several students had arrived in Potions, with Luna Lovegod being among the last to enter. Horace Slughorn looked at the scar on her face, appalled. "Dear! Come here, I'll take care of that for you," he said, looking for his bottle of Dittany. "Ah, there it is." He dropped a few drops on the wound, which immediately started to heal. "Better?" he asked, and she nodded.

She took her seat next to Leanne who asked, "Are you okay? That was really brave of you. Are you sure you're not in Gryffindor?" Luna smiled and opened her Potions book.

At lunch, Ernie walked to where Luna was sitting, looking around nervously. "That was really brave of you, Luna," he said quietly, and continued walking. She nodded, acknowledging his words, and looked up to see Seamus and Neville, coming from Charms. Ginny was close behind them, coming from Herbology.

Neville's eyes widened in shock at the sight of her scar, which hadn't disappeared quite yet. "Luna! What happened?" he asked.

She told them of the graffiti on the wall, and how Rowle thought that she had done it. Seamus and Neville immediately looked guilty. "Merlin! Sorry, Luna. We did it before we went for Charms. We didn't think that they'd frame you for it," said Neville.

"It's okay."

Ginny patted her friend's back encouragingly. "That's really brave, what you said. Leanne told me."

Luna gave her a small smile, after swallowing a spoonful of potato soup. "I suppose we better get used to being a bit cheeky. If we're starting something as large as this, I think we ought to let our mouths run a bit," she said.

* * *

Two days later, on a cool Friday afternoon, Seamus and Neville walked to Defense Against the Dark Arts, or rather, the Dark Arts. The classroom was devoid of desks, as it usually was nowadays. At the front of the room, a frightened looking third year stood, shaking. Seamus raised an eyebrow at him, wondering why he would be in a seventh-year class.

"Afternoon, students," said Amycus Carrow.

"Good afternoon, Professor," the students replied in a monotone.

The male Death Eater walked around the classroom, sneering evilly. "Today, we'll be learnin' 'bout the Cruciatus Curse. Now, would anyone like to tell me wha' this curse does?"

Neville nearly opened his mouth to answer, but bit his tongue. He felt anger coursing through his veins, towards the Death Eaters that had used the curse against his parents.

"No one? 'right, then. I 'pose that I'll have to show you," smirked Amycus. He turned to the third year, who looked at him with fear in his eyes. "_Crucio!_" he yelled, sending a jet of red light towards the young boy. The effect was immediate, and Trevor Bays, the third year, screamed in pain.

All of the seventh years present cringed, with the exception of a few Slytherins, who were excited about the prospect of using the curse. Trevor continued yelling, his body flailing spastically. Neville clenched his fists angrily, and it took twice his willpower to not curse the Death Eater. Seamus, unfortunately, couldn't control himself.

"Oi! That's bloody sadistic!" said Seamus, disgusted. The male Carrow rounded on him, and the curse lifted from Trevor, who gave a breath of relief.

"Really, is it? Well Mr. Finnigan, step up to the front of the classroom, then."

Seamus frowned. "What?" he asked loudly.

"_Step up to the front of the room_," said Amycus icily.

"No!"

The Death Eater raised his wand. "You _will_ walk to the front of the room." Seamus found his legs moving against his will, walking him towards the front. He tried with all of his might to stop them, but the strength of Amycus's Imperius Curse was too much.

He stopped near Trevor, whose face was shiny with sweat. Seamus's brown eyes looked steely and cold, as the Death Eater spoke again. "How would you like to experience the curse, Mr. Finnigan? _Crucio!_"

Seamus fell to the floor as his knees buckled in pain. "Aghh!" he screamed in agony. Neville looked at his friend, wanting to help him, but was afraid of what the consequences might be. Seamus's eyes were clenched shut as the pain spread through his body like wildfire.

Suddenly, the bell went off, and Amycus put his wand away. "Class dismissed," he sneered, and walked out. Immediately, Neville ran to his friend's side. Seamus was awfully still, but his breathing had become normal. He attempted to pull him up, and Parvati put one of Seamus's arms over her shoulder, helping Neville lift the Irish boy.

Next to them, Lavender was helping Trevor up, who looked perpetually frightened.

"You okay, mate?" asked Neville. Trevor nodded, shaking slightly. "Let's get them to the Hospital Wing."

* * *

"Longbottom?"

Neville turned to see Professor McGonagall walking briskly towards them. "Longbottom, Patil, Brown, what in the name of Merlin's beard happened to Finnigan and Bays?"

"It was Professor Carrow, ma'am! He was using them as targets for the Cruciatus Curse," said Parvati. McGonagall's face paled, and her eyes widened behind her spectacles.

"Let's get them to Madam Pomfrey, then."

They walked towards the Hospital Wing, where Madam Pomfrey was tending to a battered looking first year. She looked disdainfully at Seamus and Trevor. "Minerva, there's more?"

"They're practicing the Cruciatus Curse, and these two got on the wrong side of Amycus Carrow," said Professor McGonagall. They gently laid Seamus and Trevor on beds, the latter groaning in pain. Madam Pomfrey looked at them sympathetically.

After care from Madam Pomfrey, Seamus's eyes opened. Neville took a seat beside his bed. "You alright, mate?" he asked. Seamus nodded weakly, too tired to form words. "The meeting's tomorrow. S'okay if you can't make it."

Seamus's eyes widened, shaking his head. "No—I'm coming," he stammered, forcing his words out of his mouth.

Neville nodded, and stood to leave. "We'll check on you in the morning and see if you're alright to come. See you tomorrow, Seamus."

News had spread about the events that took place in the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. In the Great Hall, Luna and Ginny were anxiously waiting for Neville to come back with word about Seamus's condition.

The tall seventh-year walked wearily towards them, and plopped onto the seat across from the two girls. "He's fine. Tired, battered, but fine," he said, and picked at his food.

* * *

The next morning, which was the start of a Hogsmeade weekend, Ginny, Neville, and Luna visited Seamus in the Hospital Wing. "Feeling better, Shay?" asked Neville. The brown-haired boy nodded tiredly.

"I can come. Madam Pomfrey cleared me this morning," he said, and sat up, swinging his legs off of the bed. The three of them helped him up, and he stretched, feeling stiffness in his limbs. "Right, let's go."

Instead of going to Hogsmeade, members of the D.A. snuck up to the seventh floor, where the Room of Requirement was. Inside, the room looked different than it had before. It was of medium size, with many tables and chairs.

The first few to come stood tentatively at the door, as if stepping into the room put them on a death list. "C'mon in," said Neville, who was sitting at the front with Ginny, Luna, and a tired looking Seamus. Ernie Macmillan and Hannah Abbott took a seat in the front, followed by Susan Bones and Leanne.

Soon, all of the most of the original members of the D.A. (minus those that had already graduated) and a few new faces had taken a seat in the Room of Requirement. It got suddenly quieter, as Luna, Neville, and Ginny stood up.

The fiery redhead fumbled with her hands, and brushed the hair out of her face, trying to look confident. "Thank you… all of you, for being here. I know how much you risk by coming here, and I'd like to thank you. Even by listening to what we are about to propose, you show an extraordinary amount of bravery," she said, meeting each of them in the eye. She turned to Neville, who cleared his throat.

"Like she said, thank you for coming. Lately, the Death Eaters have been ruthless, as some of you probably already know. It's gotten to the point where they'll push us to the brink, and we think that it's about time that we stood up to them," he said. A few nodded, and he continued on.

"I'm not asking you to attack them, or be cursed by them. As serious as the situation is, I think we can have a bit of fun here, while doing our part in the war. We can make them wish they'd never come here, and in the meantime, save the people in detention in the Dungeons."

There was a moment of silence, until Anthony Goldstein asked, "When do we start?"


End file.
